At least 20 miners trapped by gold mine collapse in Colombia

The Ministry of the Environment of Caldas confirmed, in the afternoon of this Friday March 26, that there are at least 20 people trapped in the gold mine, after a landslide that apparently caused the structure to collapse.

“Register a landslide in a mine in the village of El Bosque, municipality of Neira. According to preliminary information from the authorities, minors could be trapped in the area. The firefighting team is heading to the emergency site, the environmental authority reported.

The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. this Friday, for reasons apparently related to the winter season currently raging in Colombia. According to a report by local newspaper La Patria, a heavy downpour fell in the area which not only caused the landslide but also inundated the mine, preventing affected workers from escaping.

The situation forced at least three firefighters to react to provide support in personnel and rescue equipment such as motor pumps.. The first, reported the Department’s Risk Management Unit, were those from the municipality of Neira and volunteers from the district of Irra, which then received the support of the Riosucio Rescue Corps, the National Mines Agency (ANM), the army and the police.

According to the vice-president of the association of traditional miners of Marmato, Caldas, told Caracol Radio: “the situation is very difficult, but the relief agencies of Supía, Marmato, Neira and Riosucio, among other towns in the municipalities of Caldas and Risaralda, are already taking care of it ”.

After a meeting between members of the firefighters, civil defense and the ANM, It has been determined that the rescue activities will be carried out by 22 people, including a geologist, a mechanic and nine rescuers from the agency.. These must arrive by rail from the region, as the climatic situation makes access by road difficult, the newspaper El Espectador reported.

This was confirmed by the president of the said government entity, Juan Miguel Durán, who, through a message posted on Twitter, assured that, “At this time, the emergency care protocol is activated after an accident in an underground gold mine, located in Neira, Caldas and the ANM Colombia mining rescue team is relocated, where 15 miners are said to have disappeared. “

Likewise, the entity underlined that “the authorities carry out the appropriate inspection and investigation actions corresponding to the legal status of the site”, because it is suspected that it is an illegal exploitation site.

According to the agency’s latest mining emergency report, between January and December last year, 153 accidents occurred in Colombia that left as a result, a total of 171 people died, this is the highest figure since 2010, when deaths were 173. The figures also contrast with those of 2019, where there were 114 disasters and 82 deaths.

For this year, the latest figures show eight emergencies that left 14 dead and one seriously injured, in January alone. This, despite the fact that the ANM issued, throughout 2020, a total of 2,089 ongoing mine safety and rescue certificates, as part of a prevention initiative.

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